RESCIND MOTON
AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS OF SPEAKING WITH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS IT IS CLEAR THIS PROJECT IS TOO IMPORTANT FOR US NOT
TO FULLY EXPLORE ALL THE OPTIONS WHICH WE HAVEN‘T YET. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE POLITICAL SYSTEM THAT WE DO WHICH
ALLOWS US TO EXAMINE AND REXAMINE OUR DECISIONS IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE THE BEST ONE.
THEREFORE, I MAKE THE MOTION TO RESCIND THE COUNCIL’S PRIOR ACTIONS REGARDING THE MILITARY AVENUE RECONSTRUCTION
PROJECT.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 LANE MOTION
I WILL BE MAKING A MOTION, BUT OF COURSE HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS ON THIS ISSUE:
FOR A ROAD PROJECT, THIS ISSUE HAS BECOME SO HEATED AND EMOTIONALLY CHARGED THAT I HAVE PURPOSELY STEPPED BACK OVER THE
LAST FEW DAYS TO TRY AND BETTER UNDERSTAND IT.
LET’S START WITH THE BASICS:
1) MILITARY AVENUE NEEDS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED. IT IS OLD AND TIRED.
2) ALONG WITH THIS RECONSTRUCTION WE WANT TO FOCUS ON THE REBIRTH OF THE MILITARY AVE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
3) WE SHOULD LISTEN TO THE STAKEHOLDERS--THE BUSINESSES PAYING LARGE SUMS FOR THE NEW ROAD, THEIR PATRONS AND THE PEOPLE
IN OUR DISTRICTS WHO PUT US IN OFFICE.
THESE THREE THINGS SHOULD BE OUR MAIN FOCUS.
ALONG THE WAY, RATHER LATE IN THE GAME I MUST ADD, ROUNDABOUTS CAME INTO PLAY. RIGHT OR WRONG, THE FOCUS SHIFTED TO THE
MERITS VS THE MYTHS/FEARS OF ROUNDABOUTS.
ADD FURTHER TO THIS MIX THE QUESTIONABLE TACTICS OF SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS. LYNCHMOB AND BULLYING TACTICS WERE NOT CALLED
FOR.
OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS I HAVE MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO FURTHER COMMUNICATE WITH MY RESIDENTS AND THE BUSINESSES
ALONG MILITARY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR CONCERNS AND EXPLAIN MY VIEWPOINT.
THIS BRINGS ME BACK TO OUR MAIN FOCUS --
1&2) MILITARY AVE NEEDS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED AND WITH IT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY REFRESHED.
AS WE SAW HERE TONIGHT WITH THE STATE'S PRESENTATION, HIGHWAY 41 WILL BE RECONSTRUCTED STARTING IN 2011. THERE WILL BE
TRAFFIC EITHER DIVERTED OR CHOOSING AN ALTERNATE ROUTE DOWN MILITARY AVENUE. THIS IS A PERFECT SITUATION TO REINTRODUCE PEOPLE
TO THE ‘NEW MILITARY’ WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE HAVE VISITED THE AREA. WE HAVE A CERTAIN WINDOW TO GET THIS PROJECT
DONE. CONSCTRUCTION MUST START NEXT SPRING AND FINISH NEXT FALL. PERIOD. DELAYS INFRINGE ON OR NEGATE THIS OPPORTUNITY. IN
TIGHT ECONOMIC TIMES, THESE BUSINESSES WILL ALREADY HAVE TO DEAL WITH ROAD CONSTRUCTION FOR ONE YEAR---BUT THE LIGHT AT THE
END OF THE TUNNEL IS INCREASED TRAFFIC DURING THE HIGHWAY PROJECT. WE MUST NOT JEOPARDIZE THIS. IN THE END, IF THIS
PROJECT IS DELAYED, IT WILL NOT MATTER TO THE SUFFERING BUSINESSES WHO CAUSED THE DELAY AND WHY.
3) THE STAKEHOLDERS. WHILE I BELIEVE WE MAY BE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY, IT IS VERY CLEAR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND MY DISTRICT
HAVE VERY STRONG FEELINGS ON THIS ISSUE. SIMPLY PUT, THEY VEHEMENTLY OPPOSE THE SIX ROUNDABOUT PLAN AND BARELY STOMACHE A
COMPROMISE FOR LESS.
DON’T GET ME WRONG, I STILL BELIEVE IN ROUNDABOUTS BUT WE SHOULD HAVE BUY-IN AND EDUCATION FIRST AND IMPLEMENTATION
SECOND. THAT IS WHY THE STATE WAS HERE TODAY--2 YEARS IN ADVANCE OF THEIR PROJECT.
I CANNOT IGNORE THE REALITY THAT REFERENDUMS WOULD RUIN THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE AND THEREBY HURT THE BUSINESSES WE ARE
TRYING TO HELP AND THAT THE OVERWHELMING OPINION OF OUR BUSINESSES AND MY CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT FAVORABLE AT THIS TIME TO ROUNDABOUTS
ON THIS STREET.
I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE FOUR LANES WITH SIGNAL LIGHTS ON MILITARY AVENUE.
